Bharti Airtel share price falls nearly 3% after block deal; promoter entity likely trims stake

Bharti Airtel shares slipped 2.88 per cent to Rs 1,869 on Friday, August 8, after heavy block deal activity in early trade triggered a spike in volumes.

Block deal details

While the counterparties to the transaction remain undisclosed, media reports suggest that promoter entity Indian Continent Investment likely sold a 1.2 per cent stake via a block deal. The sale was reportedly executed at a floor price of Rs 1,862 per share, about 3.24 per cent below Thursday’s closing price of Rs 1,924.35 on the BSE.

Trading volumes surged sharply, with 1.24 crore shares changing hands on the BSE versus a three-month average of just 3.48 lakh. On the NSE, volumes soared to 8.73 crore shares, significantly higher than the three-month average of 72.54 lakh.

Promoter holding and business profile

As of June 2025, Indian Continent Investment held 2.47 per cent in Airtel, while total promoter holding stood at 51.25 per cent. The telco operates in 15 countries across South Asia and Africa, serving over 550 million customers.

Earnings snapshot

In Q1 FY26, Airtel posted a 103.3 per cent YoY jump in consolidated net profit to Rs 5,948 crore from Rs 2,925 crore. Revenue grew 28.5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 49,463 crore, supported by strong performance in India and Africa. ARPU for the quarter stood at Rs 250 versus Rs 211 in Q1 FY25.